The Epiphany
by KDiMeraFan21
Summary: After a head injury, Derek Morgan has a near death experience that forces him to reevaluate his friendship with Penelope Garcia.
1. How It All Began

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this! It's definitely an idea I've been toying around with for a while. **

"Any last words?" Derek Morgan asked.

He pointed his gun at the unsub, watching as the man's eyes filled with fear at the thought of death. Derek hid a grin, though the man couldn't see anything anyway. They were in a dark basement, just the two of them, while the team hurried to Derek's side from across town.

He had been the one to find this serial killer. After trusting his gut on a whim, Derek had wound up in a wooded cottage with the unsub Jeremy Walkman, who the BAU had been tracking the last two weeks.

All Derek could think about was avenging Jeremy for the victims he had killed. He had murdered three families, each with children, and deserved to pay for what he had done.

"You won't shoot me," Jeremy said. "This is all a tactic to make me plead and beg for my life. I know you profilers."

"Keep thinking that," Derek snarled. "This is not a game Walkman. You killed innocent people and almost one of our own. Why wouldn't I shoot you?"

"Because you want me alive," he said in almost a whisper. "You want me to suffer like the victims suffered. You want me to serve life in prison."

"I could easily make you suffer with a gunshot. It doesn't have to be fatal."

"You may not be able to resist though, will you?" Jeremy gloated. "You want to pull that trigger so bad, but you know it'll be your ass if you do."

"Testing me isn't wise," Derek warned.

Suddenly Jeremy grinned. "Well, you won't be able to shoot me anyway. You won't be around to see me pay."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll be six feet under when we're finished with you," he said with a laugh.

Before Derek could answer or process that sentence, a blow to the head knocked him out cold. One of Jeremy's accomplices, someone the BAU didn't know about, had snuck in the back and rendered Morgan unconscious.

The sirens wailing outside drowned out all the other noise in the house, so the men had to shout to be heard by the other. The local law enforcement and FBI were on the scene.

"Let's go!" Jeremy yelled, quickly grabbing Derek's wallet and gun. The two men fled through the back just as the BAU kicked the door open.

It took them five minutes to find Derek. By then, a pool of blood had surrounded his head and he could barely keep from slipping away completely.

"Morgan!" he could hear. "Morgan, can you hear me?"

"_Yes, yes!" _he wanted to answer but couldn't. Derek was long gone in watery unconsciousness. He could barely hang on to life or whatever it was that he seemed to mentally cling to. It was almost like hanging off a cliff with one hand. If he let go, there was little chance, if any, of survival.

"What happened?" he heard Hotch ask. "Was he shot?"

Then JJ: "The paramedics are on their way. And no, he was hit in the head. Did you find a tourniquet Reid?"

Derek let their voices wash over him, happy to focus on what they were saying and not on answering. He heard Prentiss and Rossi talking in hushed voices about the unsub and how he could've outsmarted him. Something about the profile being off. How could Derek be tricked? He was a trained agent who dealt with unsubs almost every day. Something was amiss…

"Call Garcia," Rossi said. "Let her know our unsub has a partner in crime."

At the mention of Garcia, Derek felt his heart clench. She was going to be worried when she found out about his head injury. He wondered what she would do. Would she fly to South Carolina to see if he was all right? When he woke up, would she be sitting beside his hospital bed? It all sounded very likely. They were best friends after all.

Then he remembered his girlfriend Savannah. She would probably be the one to fly to South Carolina versus Garcia. Besides, they had a case to solve and unsub to catch whether Derek was hurt or not. Still, though, he wanted to wake up to Garcia's comfort over Savannah's. Garcia always knew how to make him feel better. Savannah, with her aloof ways, would offer little to no comfort at all.

Their voices seemed further away now. He could barely hear JJ talking on the phone or Reid's pacing anymore. All he could focus on was the thoughts racing through his head, which seemed to center on Garcia. What was she doing? Did she know yet? Had she found the unsub's partner in crime?

The last thing Derek heard before completely blacking out was the arrival of the paramedics.


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I hope this lives up to your expectations!**

Where was he?

He was standing in a room similar to his childhood home, though he knew he'd never been there before. Derek looked all around before seeing a familiar man he instantly recognized as his father.

"Dad?" Derek asked. "What are you doing here?"

The man only smiled and walked over. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Am I dead?" Derek asked, panic spreading through him like wildfire. Had the unsub actually killed him? That couldn't be true. How he could be dead when the team needed him?

"No," his father answered. "You're only having a near death experience. You're actually in a hospital undergoing tests right now. That unsub really did a number on your head. They think your brain is swelling."

Derek sat down at a small table that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was lightheaded at the information and worried about waking up. What if he didn't? What if he never saw Garcia again? He couldn't even remember their last conversation.

Then he remembered who was watching him intently. The older man now sat across from him, eyes fixed upon Derek's face and gauging his reaction.

Derek couldn't believe his father was in front of him. There were so many things he wanted to say, needed to say, but couldn't find the words to formulate sentences. What did you say to a parent you barely knew because of death?

"I have no idea what to say to you right now," Derek admitted. "I've always waited for this moment...but now that it's here…"

His dad waved him off. "It's fine. That isn't why you're having this experience anyway. You're here because you need to have an epiphany about another aspect of your life."

"What?" Derek asked. "An epiphany?"

"Son," his father began. "Have you ever heard that everything happens for a reason? Including the horrible stuff we'd rather not elaborate on?"

Derek only nodded, wanting his father to go ahead and spit it out. Why did he need to have an epiphany? He was in the hospital for crying out loud. There was a possibility he wouldn't regain consciousness even if he had an epiphany.

"I'm going to show you some experiences," his father began. "They are going to feel very real to you as if you are awake. The best thing to do is to go along with them and pretend they are real."

"What kind of experiences?"

"They will vary," he said. "Some will be pleasant and others will not. Hopefully they will help you realize what you've been hiding from yourself for years. They should jumpstart a change in your life, so you can get back on track."

"What track?" Derek asked. "How did I get off of it?"

"It's not set in stone," his father continued, ignoring Derek's questions."But if you don't find your way to this path, you will live your life in solitude and be very unhappy. And I really don't want that to happen to you Derek.'

With that said, he asked Derek to close his eyes. "Just go along with it," he repeated. "Do whatever feels right in the situation."

When Derek opened his eyes, he was in a lavish bedroom.

He sat up slowly, wondering when he'd gotten out of the hospital. Then he remembered it was a dream his father had placed him in. Running a hand over his head, he looked around for a clock to see what time it was. A little after eight.

Wondering where he could be, Derek sat all the way up and realized how nice the bedroom really was. He was in a king-sized bed that was one of the most comfortable things he'd ever felt. Then again, it could've been the egyptian sheets he was under too.

His eyes wandered across the art decor on the walls. It seemed a bit too feminine and crazy for his style, but hey, whoever it belonged to must have a knack for decorating. Derek suddenly wondered if they knew Garcia, as her style was eerily similar.

Suddenly the bed started to move beside him. He looked over just in time to see Penelope sitting up and kissing him on the cheek. "Good morning Hot Stuff," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

Why was Penelope in this nice bed with him? Had they gotten a hotel room? Got deliriously drunk and stayed in a house that belonged to neither of them? More importantly, why wasn't one of them on the couch? He had Savannah and she had Sam.

"Baby Girl, what happened last night?" Derek asked. "Where are we?"

"What do you mean?" Penelope asked. Then: "I wonder if the kids are still asleep."

Kids? Were they babysitting for JJ? Hotch? Derek couldn't be more confused yet relaxed at the same time. Where was he? Why was he so comfortable as if he were at home? He had no idea who this house belonged to.

Just then three kids burst into the room and climbed into the bed with them. At first, all Derek could see of them was a blur, especially the older two, but the smallest and youngest girl stopped to smile at him. "Good morning Daddy."

Derek thought he was going to hyperventilate. The similarities were undeniable. They each had his caramel colored skin and their mother's dark eyes. These children were his and _Penelope's. _

What in the heck was Derek's dad trying to show him?

**A/N: Remember to review! I'll post a new update soon!**


	3. Time Traveling

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback and reviews! I really appreciate them! I actually remember some of you from when I used to write fan-fiction back in the day. It's nice to hear from you again! Enjoy!**

"Good morning princess," he heard coming out of his mouth to the youngest girl.

In response, she climbed onto his lap and cuddled against him. Derek instantly felt a certain tenderness in his heart, and he held her close. He had a daughter. He and Penelope had an adorable little girl.

He looked at the two older kids. They were sitting on the other side of the bed talking with Penelope. There was a girl who seemed to be about ten or eleven and looked just like his sister Desiree did at her age.

Derek had to hid a smile at the sight of Penelope talking to their children. He'd always known she'd be a great mother.

"Don't forget I have cheerleading practice later, Mama," the oldest girl was saying. "This is our last big rehearsal before the game."

"Don't worry Calliope," Penelope replied. "You'll be able to go and practice all your moves. I know you'll be great. Won't she Derek?'

"Absolutely," Derek replied. "You're a great little cheerleader. You can get any crowd pepped up for a game." The words tumbled out of his mouth naturally, as if being a father was something he was an expert at. When did he learn how to be so good with kids?

Calliope grinned at him. "Thanks Dad. You always know what to say."

Derek sat in awe of his oldest daughter. In all honesty, he was in awe of all three of his kids, but Calliope was just like her mother. Same smile. Same facial structure. Even their hair was similar, though hers was darker and curlier.

How did they come up with a name like Calliope? It sounded just like Penelope but with a unique twist. Had they poured over baby books for hours looking for the perfect name? He bet Penelope had insisted on finding something original. She wouldn't have wanted her daughter to be the third Sarah or Emily in a class.

"Daddy," the youngest girl said. "Can you make us your famous pancakes for breakfast? The ones with chocolate chips? Xavier and I have been good all morning and not making noise, just like you and Mama asked."

"Of course Harper," Derek replied, her name coming easily to him as if he knew it all along. "Just give me and Mama a minute and we'll be downstairs."

The three kids, who Derek now remembered as Harper, Xavier, and Calliope, made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. Derek couldn't help but smile after them. They were all so adorable and like him and Penelope. Even little Harper was already the spitting image of her mother with a darker complexion.

When he turned in the bed, it wasn't Penelope that was sitting there anymore. It was his father. "Penelope only wanted to have two kids," Derek said in an accusatory tone. "A boy and a girl. How did we end up with three?"

His father only laughed. "That's your question? You wake up married to your best friend with three kids, and you want to know how you wound up with three kids instead of two?"

Derek nodded, his mind fixated on that fact. It was best to start small. "How did Harper come into the picture?"

"She was an accident," his father explained, knowing Derek must be in shock. "Calliope and Xavier were with your mother for the weekend. You and Penelope conceived Harper while you were celebrating a night to yourselves."

He only stared at his father, wondering for the life of him what the epiphany was. Had he already had it? When was it going to happen? Why was he dreaming that he was married to Penelope?

"How did… How did Penelope and I wind up married?" Derek asked. "She only loves me as a best friend and nothing more."

"You won her over. You spent months wooing her just so you could call her your girl."

"That's crazy," he said. "We're both with other people."

"You got close after you realized your feelings. Everything seemed to fall into place for the two of you."

"And we got married?" he asked. "And had three kids?"

"Yes," his father said. "You fell in love, had a wonderful wedding, and now you have three kids. You and Penelope adore them."

"Wow," Derek said and began to smile. "This is unbelievable. I always thought Savannah and I would get married."

"Is that really something you want?"

Derek looked sideways at his father. "Look, Pop, Savannah and I have been together for a long time. I honestly can't imagine all of this changing so quickly. How could I wind up with Penelope?"

"I haven't shown you enough," his father said. "Maybe placing you in these experiences is the wrong choice. Maybe you just need to watch them instead."

"Watch them?" Derek asked. The idea seemed ludicrous to him. He was going to watch this strange life unfold in front of him where he had married Penelope now? It was like a parallel universe. He liked it though. That was a certain.

"You need to see how in love you and Penelope truly are. After you admitted your feelings, things fell right into place. Savannah and Sam were out of the picture fast."

The scenery changed around them, and Derek found himself in a completely different scenario. Except he was watching him and Penelope like it was a movie.

"Baby Girl," the other Derek was saying. "I love you. I can quit my job and find other work so we can be together. There's openings in local law enforcement that I can take. That way we won't be charged with employee fraternization."

"Derek," Penelope countered. "Are you sure that's what you want? I don't want you to leave your job if you don't want to. We can find a way to fight this. We can…"

Derek silenced her with a kiss. "I want to leave," he said. "I'm ready to step down to something easier for a while. Besides, the team isn't what it was anyway."

"I know," she said. "But you love chasing bad guys and reading their behavior. What will the BAU do without you?"

"Don't worry," Derek said. "The guy they've trained to replace me is another Reid. A total genius. He'll definitely be an asset for the team."

"How did they train someone so quickly?"

"He was supposed to replace Rossi," he explained. "Rossi's been talking about retiring within the next year or two, so they wanted someone on standby for when it happened."

They hugged then. It seemed like they were clinging to one another. "I love you," she said. "So much. I'm so glad we found our way to one another in the end."

"Me too Baby Girl," he said. "Me too."

Derek looked over at his father. "This was before Penelope and I were married, right?"

"Right. No one on the team even knew you were dating," his father clarified. "We've went back in time a bit. One of you had to leave the FBI to continue the relationship, especially if you wanted to be serious. So you resigned."

"Did I regret leaving?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," his father replied. "It only gets better from here."

The two of them turned to watch as the scene continued to unfold in front of them.

**A/N: New chapter will be posted soon! And, yes, it will be a little non-linear versus chronological, but the formatting shouldn't be too hard to follow! Please review!**


	4. Because We're Happy

"Hot Stuff, are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" Penelope asked. "The last thing I want is for you to regret your decision."

"Woman, I have never been more sure of anything in my life," he said. "All I want is you. Besides, this means I'll be traveling less, if at all. We'll be able to spend more time together."

"We'll have to tell Hotch that we're dating," she said. "He needs to know before you resign."

"I know," he said. "I keep putting it off, but I put in my two weeks notice today. He should be notified tomorrow, so I'm going to his office first thing in the morning."

"This is going to be a major bombshell on him," she said. "Do you think he suspected anything?"

"Well, he is a profiler," he pointed out. "I don't think so though. No one knows about us but me and you. Right?"

"I may have mentioned it to JJ, but she promised not to say anything," Penelope said. "Before you tell Hotch, though, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Hotch isn't going to discover one secret tomorrow," she said, looking suddenly nervous. "There's going to be a little more to our announcement."

Derek raised an eyebrow, knowing Hotch was already going to be unhappy with the news he was leaving. Could their boss really take another major surprise on their part?

"What's up Baby Girl?" Derek asked. Then, when she didn't answer immediately: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Penelope said. "Everything's perfect actually. It's just, well…"

"Penelope, _what_?"

"I'm pregnant."

Derek's face changed to shock. "What?" he cried. "When did you find out?"

"Two days ago," she replied. "I would've told you sooner, but I didn't want to distract you from putting in your resignation. I know that stepping down has been stressful for you, and I didn't want to add anything more to that. Plus…"

He interrupted her, knowing that a full on ramble was inevitable. "Baby Girl, this is wonderful news," he said. "Really. I'm sure Hotch and the rest of the team will be thrilled for us. We're going to have the most awesome kid ever."

"Well, with your good looks and my brains, anything is possible," Penelope said with a grin. "Can you believe it, though? In eight months, we'll have our own little one to look after."

As soon as the words left Penelope's lips, Derek started to freak out. Knowing there was only eight months until the two of them became parents was crazy. He had no experience with kids! He'd only watched Jack a few times back in the day, but he'd been older. Not a newborn.

"Someone looks nervous," Penelope observed with a smirk. "Is the news starting to sink in for you?"

"We're going to have to get a house," Derek said. "This apartment isn't big enough for the three of us. I _told _you that keeping my house was the better option in the end. It was bigger and had more room for all of our stuff."

Desperately trying not to laugh out loud, Penelope tried to calm him down but Derek had already jumped up and was moving through the rooms, going off on several different tangents of conversation.

"We need to train Clooney not to bark at people walking down the street," he said suddenly. "He'll wake the baby up, won't he? Not to mention Clooney's never really been around kids before. What if he's bad with children?"

"Derek," Penelope said, following him into their bedroom. "Slow down a minute. We don't have to decide..."

He cut her off in another ramble, not even hearing what she said. "We're going to have to start saving money! No more premium computer apps for you or new sports equipment for me. We'll have to save to afford everything we'll need. And…"

"Earth to my Noir Hero," she interrupted loudly. When Derek finally focused on her, she continued: "We don't have to figure everything out tonight, love. I'm only eight weeks. We have plenty of time to look for a house and put money aside. Alright?"

He only nodded, but his mind had jumped to something else. Something very important. Something they simply could not ignore a minute longer.

"Penelope Garcia, you have to promise me something first," he said. "This is extremely important to me."

"What?"

"Will you marry me? Before the baby's born?" he asked. "I know I don't have a ring right now, but I love you more than anything."

She only smiled at him. "Of course I'll marry you. Ring or no ring, you're still the love of my life."

Then they were kissing. Right in the middle of their bedroom, arms wrapped around each other, as close as they possibly could be. They were ecstatic. They were getting married and having a baby in the next eight months.

Neither of them could hardly wait.

* * *

"I didn't even have a ring when I proposed?" Derek asked his dad in disbelief. "Who doesn't have a ring when they ask the girl of their dreams to marry them?"

His father laughed. "You were completely thrown off guard, son. You'd only been together about six months. You just knew that you wanted Penelope to be your wife before Calliope was born."

"What happened next?"

"You got married about three months later," he replied. "Penelope didn't want to be showing very much at the ceremony, so you hired a planner to put the wedding together as quickly as possible."

"Did we buy the house I was in earlier?"

"Yes. After your honeymoon, you came back to Virginia and found a house in the DC area that you two liked. So you bought it and fixed it up. Hotch, Reid, and Rossi helped as much as possible, and you turned it into Penelope's dream home. She had it all planned out."

His father watched as Derek digested the information. He was starting to realize how in love with Penelope he already was, he could tell.

"How did we come with up with her name?" Derek asked. "Calliope?"

"I'll show you," he said. "But then I have to show you the other side. The not-so-good stuff. The way for you to come full circle in this epiphany is to see everything. For now, let's end on a good note."

Derek watched as the room slowly changed back to Penelope's apartment. The place was full of boxes nearly piled to the ceiling, while they sat on the couch, playfully arguing back and forth over names they liked and disliked.

"How can you not love the name Lydia?" Penelope asked, pulling up another baby name website on her laptop. "It's so cute."

"Not cute enough for our little girl," Derek argued. "She needs to have something a bit more original, don't you think? Besides, I went to school with a girl named Lydia and she had horrible acne."

She couldn't help but giggle. "Fine then. Here's some names a little more unique. Anastoria, Bianca, Gretchen, and Reese."

"God no," he said. "All those names are just plain horrible. C'mon Pen. There's got to be one name on that list that seems perfect to you."

She sighed. "I'm starting to think we gave ourselves too many options," she said. "We have all those baby books in our room, and the world wide web at our fingertips. We should've limited ourselves to one website or one baby book."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Besides, shouldn't they let the Queen of the land to take on responsibilities like this? Naming a kid is a major decision."

"Tell me about it," Penelope said, quickly scanning a new list on her screen with a smirk. "What about Claire?"

"It's a possibility," he said. Then: "Are we still going with the middle name Francine? After my mother?"

"Yes," she said. "That's a definite. Fran will be so happy her new granddaughter is carrying on her name."

He smiled, thinking about his mother's reaction to the baby being a girl. She'd believed from the beginning, just like they had, that Penelope was pregnant with a little boy. They'd all been hugely surprised when the ultrasound revealed that the baby was a girl. Derek and Penelope had been so convinced that she was a boy. A little rouge, they'd called him.

Penelope gasped. "Hot Stuff!"

"What?"

"How about this?" she asked. "Are you ready? It's going to blow your mind. It's absolutely by far the most perfect name for our daughter."

"I'm ready, I'm ready!"

"Calliope."

It took Derek a second to react. "Calliope? It sounds like Penelope."

"I know!" she squealed. "I've never heard of anyone with this name before! She'll be unique! She'll never have to worry about another kid in her class having her name."

Derek nodded. "That's true. Calliope is a pretty name too. I like that it sounds like yours."

"So, what do you think?" Penelope said. "Is it not perfect? Calliope Francine Morgan?"

"Yes," he finally said. "It's perfect. It's everything we were looking for in a name and more. What does Calliope mean, anyway?"

"Beautiful voice," she read.

They grinned at each other then, knowing that they'd finally found the absolute perfect name for their firstborn.

**A/N: New chapter will be up soon! Hope you all enjoyed! We'll be switching gears soon so Derek can come full circle in his epiphany!**


	5. From Good to Bad

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy!

Derek looked over at his father, expecting him to start showing the promised "bad" stuff, but he didn't. The scenery changed more quickly then, and he watched as time progressed. These scenes didn't go into as much detail as the others, but Derek didn't mind. He just liked to watch the stories. He couldn't believe this was destined to be his life.

When Penelope went into labor with Calliope, she stayed mad at Derek the entire time. The _whole _time. "This better be a joke," she screamed at him. "You may be a chocolate god, but you've put me in the worst pain ever!" Her anger didn't subside until Calliope was placed in her arms. Derek simply ruled it as her low pain tolerance and teased her about it later. "Are you sure you want a houseful of kids, Baby Girl? I don't know if I can stand you being so mad at me each time."

"You don't know anything about being a woman, Derek Morgan," she'd warned him playfully. "You could never survive childbirth." Derek figured she was right.

When Xavier was three and Calliope was five, their entire backyard flooded after a heavy rain. Derek, being the grown child he was, had grabbed their rain jackets and boots and took the kids out to play in the rain.

Penelope, who was already pregnant with Harper, had looked outside their bedroom window to find Xavier and Calliope running through the rain shrieking while Derek chased them. The three of them were simply too cute to be mad at, and it was mid-summer anyway. The kids deserved to have a bit of fun. Afterwards, they all sat around in the living room drinking hot chocolate and watching cartoons. The rain had made them all freezing cold.

When Harper was seven, Derek was the one to discover she had inherited her mother's savvy computer skills. Penelope had taken Xavier and Calliope to the movies with her, but Harper had opted to stay home and keep Derek company.

He hadn't been able to figure out how to download her computer game, and he knew Harper would freak out if she couldn't play it, since it was the only thing that kept her occupied. He was frantically hitting buttons when Harper simply said: "Calm down Daddy. Just push that button there." The game instantly loaded, and Harper showed him all sorts of things she knew about computers. "We have another technical goddess on our hands," Derek told Penelope later.

The time that Callope wanted a huge fur collar coat for her ninth birthday. "I don't wanna be like the other kids in their sweatshirts!" she argued. "I wanna be different with my wardrobe!" And, yes, Penelope had bought the coat with that argument. She could definitely relate to that. "She's definitely my daughter," Penelope laughed. "Instead of asking for a video game or a dollhouse she wants a huge fur coat."

How Xavier would always find a way to sneak and stay up late reading. "He's a Reid," Derek was saying to Penelope one day. "How is he only ten and already knows so much?" The kid would sit around reading textbooks and watching the History channel if they let him. "I can't help it Daddy," Xavier would say. "It's _so _interesting. By the way, did you know that FDR was the longest serving president? He had four terms, Daddy. Can you believe it?"

When Harper rescued a stray kitten from their backyard and came in crying. "Daddy, we _have _to keep it," she said. "It's pitiful. Maybe Mama won't have her allergies if it's locked in my room and she never knows about it." (They'd wound up giving the kitten to Rossi, who was none too pleased about the new pet to take care of.)

Finally Derek's dad interrupted and said: "Are you ready? This is the second half of the epiphany."

All Derek could do was nod, trying his hardest not to run after all the happy memories. How could he ever be unhappy with three wonderful kids like that?

"We're going back to the beginning," his father explained. "In this scenario, you and Penelope never admit your feelings to one another. You stay with Savannah, and she stays with Sam."

When Derek opened his eyes, he recognized his apartment. Everything looked different though. Clooney was nowhere to be found, for starters. All the furniture was different too. It had to be years later.

Then he began to notice how much alcohol was lying around. His whole fridge was filled with it, and beer cans were scattered across the kitchen floor. It was disgusting. The whole place smelled like beer, chips, and another odor he couldn't place. He felt nauseous.

He heard a knock at the door then, and he went to answer. _Maybe it's Penelope_, he thought hopefully. This world was definitely depressing. Why was his apartment so full of alcohol? Why did it seem like he didn't even bother to clean up?

He opened the door to see Savannah, looking as great as ever, though a bit older. She thrust a handful of papers at him. "Consider yourself served," she said. "I've officially filed for divorce. I can't stand the alcoholism anymore, Derek, and we are never getting back together. We've already been separated and trying for three years, and it just isn't going to happen. Sorry."

Derek expected to feel sad that Savannah was divorcing him. That she had turned on her heel and headed back to a sports car with another man at the wheel. He didn't though. All he felt was detachment from the whole situation and the urge to grab a beer.

When Derek turned back inside to look over the papers, he noticed that Savannah had asked for _everything. _She wanted Derek's truck, which she claimed to have paid for. She wanted his apartment, as she had furnished and taken care of it. Besides, she'd added, he didn't have an income to afford the place.

Derek looked up and saw his father. "What does all this mean?" he asked. "I'm unemployed?"

"Yes," his father answered. "You lost your job with the BAU. Hotch had no choice but to fire you for drinking on the job."

"Drinking on the job?" he asked. "I don't do that."

He nodded slowly. "It's true, Derek. You've become an alcoholic in this scenario. With the gruesome cases, distance from Savannah, and losing Penelope, you've turned to booze for everything."

"Does Savannah win?" he asked. "Does she get my vehicle and place?"

"Yes," his father said. "You get nothing in the end. You eventually move home to Chicago and live in your mother's basement for a while. She eventually forces you into rehab, but nothing seems to help you."

"Penelope could help me," Derek reasoned. "Where is she anyway? What happened with her and Sam? You said that I lost her."

"Derek…"

"Penelope could save me in the end," he said quickly. "She could help me through rehab, and we could be together. We could still have our happy ending..."

"It's too late," his father interrupted. "You and Penelope can't be together in this situation. It doesn't work that way."

"What do you mean?"

With a pained look on his face, his father changed the scenery. They were at a cemetery in San Francisco. Derek knew because he could see the sign from where he stood.

He looked down, then wished he hadn't. Derek saw the name on the gravestone. The exotic flowers. Everything that went back to her.

_Penelope Simone Garcia, _the stone read. _Gone, but never forgotten. _

"No!" Derek yelled at the top of his lungs. "No! She can't be dead! You're lying!"

His father didn't answer.

Feeling an unbearable wave of pain, Derek collapsed to the ground. It was like he had tunnel vision. All he could see was that gravestone. How could Penelope be dead? How could she be buried way out in California with him back in Quantico?

It was then that Derek started to sob.

**A/N: I know, I know! It's sad and terrible, but Derek needed to realize he has to win Penelope over! Don't forget to review!**


	6. Making a Choice

A/N: Thanks for the feedback! Enjoy!

Derek looked up to yell at his father, but he wasn't there. He was nowhere to be found. There was a file laying where he had once stood, though, so Derek picked it up.

It was Penelope's file.

There were pictures of her injuries along with a statement from Sam, who claimed that Penelope had fallen down their front steps to her death. According to the information, they lived together in an apartment back in Quantico. They were engaged to be married but had been putting the wedding off. _Why? _Derek wondered. Her and Sam seemed crazy about each other and happy to be reunited. Why wouldn't they be running down the aisle? Unless…

Derek was catching on to the facts quickly. He had a bad feeling that Penelope's fall had been no accident. His pulse continued to race as he continued to read through the final pages, which held Sam's confession. He had anger management problems, he'd told police. Penelope had angered him so badly that he'd pushed her. _I didn't mean to hurt her, _he'd said. _I was just so angry, and she wouldn't stop talking. We didn't fight a lot as a couple, but that fight was definitely the worst. One minute we were screaming and the next minute Penelope was down the stairs and unconscious. _He had finished with: _Her death will haunt me every day of my life. _

Apparently her death was haunting Derek too.

Derek ripped the file to shreds before he knew what he was doing. No. He was not going to accept this. This was not their fate. Penelope would not be buried out in San Francisco because some asshat guy pushed her down the stairs. _And he claims to love her, _Derek thought angrily. _She's been with Sam all this time and not me. I would never do that to her. Heck, we hardly ever even fight. _

And his fate definitely wasn't to become a divorcee from Savannah and an unemployed alcoholic. How could that even happen? Derek didn't drink to get drunk all that often. He drank to enjoy the taste. Getting drunk and having a hangover was from his college days. It was not something he continued to do in his 30's. He had a job to do and lives to save, after all.

"All right Dad!" he finally yelled. "I get it! I know what I have to do! If I don't tell Penelope how I feel, we're going to live these horrible lives. And I don't want that to happen. I'm ready to wake up now."

Nothing. The cemetery was completely silent. His father didn't return and no one was around to hear his hysteria. "Dad!" he yelled. "Dad!"

He thought he was going to collapse. He felt lightheaded and like the pain was too much to bear. "I understand now!" he said in a defeated voice. "I love her more than life itself. I can't live without her, but she'll never know unless I come forward and tell her. I just need to wake up. I _need _to see her."

Derek buried his face in his hands, trying to get a handle on his emotions. His Dad was surely going to return in a moment and tell him what he needed to do. He needed to wake up. He _had _to wake up. He needed to see Penelope.

Derek looked up then, as a bright light had grabbed his attention. The scenery had changed again, but this time he was looking up at an apartment building and a huge house.

He stood up slowly, confused by where he was. He felt compelled to walk forward when he heard a voice: "It's your choice, Derek. Either the life of solitude or life with Penelope."

He turned around, but his Dad wasn't there. Derek could only hear his voice now, but he understood. He was about to wake up. He needed to choose one of the buildings to enter-the apartment or the fairytale house.

He made his way up the gravel sidewalk, suddenly nervous and wondering if this was the right choice after all. Would she want her life to be with him too?

He crossed the porch and took a deep breath. Derek could already hear the cries of children inside along with her chiding voice. She was only on the other side of the door.

He turned to look back, but his father had still not reappeared. "Thanks Dad," he said, hoping the man would hear. "Thank you for everything. I couldn't have realized my feelings without your help. Maybe someday I can return the favor."

Derek looked back at the house and took a deep breath. He could do this. He opened the door slowly and stepped into the bright light. He immediately felt enveloped by the warmness and love that seemed to fill him instantly.

He chose the life with Penelope.

A/N: Now here's the real question. Will Derek remember his dream when he wakes up? Please review!


	7. Back to Reality

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update! I actually had no idea how I wanted to end the story and had to get inspired first! Hope you enjoy!**

As soon as he stepped into the bright light, his eyes flew open.

Derek Morgan stared at the ceiling in momentary confusion. He felt like he was waking up from a long sleep, and he could barely process a single thought. It seemed his entire brain was stuck on the phrase _find her, find her, find her._

He tried to sit up but found the movement to be too much. He felt dizzy and there was quite a bit of gauze taped to the back of his head. As much as he needed to find Penelope, he probably should wait for a doctor to stop by first. After all, he had a head injury.

Derek found the button to bring himself to the sitting position. Once he was upright, he quickly reflected on his thoughts. He had to figure some stuff out before he saw Penelope. For starters, what was he going to tell her? Just that he loved her more than anything? Or was he going to include the epiphany details with their marriage and three kids? What if she freaked out? What if she thought he was crazy?

He was surprised he remembered as much as he did. Shouldn't the dream be hazy and hard to decipher like most of them were?

He could still hear his father's voice in his head too, as if he remembered it all along. It was deep and raspy and nothing like he had imagined it to be. Still, though, Derek was happy to have escaped with that memory in perfect condition. He would always be grateful for that.

He still remembered how much he loved Penelope and how much pain losing her had put him through. He couldn't recall exactly how he lost her, but the pain was just as raw as if he did.

Shooing the unpleasant thought away, he thought of their house with the gravel driveway to distract himself. He needed to suggest that as soon as he convinced her that they belonged together. Gravel driveways sounded like something straight out of a fairytale novel and was perfect for the two of them. He was almost entirely certain that Penelope would love the idea…

He heard a throat clear then and turned to see a nurse at his bedside. "Look who's finally awake," she said cheerfully. "Are you in any pain, Mr. Morgan?"

He shook his head. "No," he answered in a hoarse voice. "Not really. I just get sort of dizzy when I move too quickly, but I'm fine other than that."

The nurse quickly checked his vitals and readjusted the IV. "We've been giving you some pain medication to help keep the headache at bay. You took quite a blow to the head. Do you remember it, Derek?"

He was surprised to realize that he didn't. He didn't actually recall being hit or losing consciousness. He didn't remember anything past talking to Jeremy Walkman in the basement. He just shook his head, surprised by the blank space. _Don't freak out Derek, _he told himself. _You still need to find Penelope and get that worked out first. You can worry about the memory loss later._

"Is my team here?" Derek asked. "Do I have any visitors?"

"I think they are still out chasing the unsub," the nurse explained. "A woman is here for you though. Shall I send her in? I believe she stepped out into the hallway for a moment."

"Yeah, send her in," he said.

Even if it was Savannah instead of Penelope, he still needed to talk to her too. Now that he had fessed up to his feelings, they seemed to be seeping in at every corner. He was definitely losing control of the way he felt about her. It was best to resolve things quickly and get everything on the table.

A minute later, a familiar blonde made her way into his hospital room.

He thought his heart was going to stop. This was the first time he'd seen her since his epiphany and conversations with his dad. It was the first time he had seen her since he knew. It was like seeing the sun for the first time in a long while. He instantly felt warm all over and like his heart was going to helicopter out of his chest.

"Penelope," he heard himself saying. "Baby Girl, I'm so glad you're here."

She smiled at him. "I'm happy to see you too, Angelfish," she replied smoothly. "How's the head?"

"They've got me on quite a bit of pain medication apparently," he said. "I can't feel a thing. If it weren't for the gauze and all the hookup, I wouldn't even know I was injured."

"You don't remember getting hit?" Penelope asked, mouth agape. "Do you remember coming to at all?"

"Not really," Derek asked, feeling uneasy at the alarm in her voice. "Why? Haven't I been out the entire time?"

She sat down in a nearby chair, holding on to one of his hands the entire time. "Not exactly. You came to while they were running a test to see how swollen your brain was. You were yelling my name and were pretty hysterical. They had to knock you back out because they couldn't sedate you."

"Really?" Derek asked, avoiding her eyes. He knew it was best not to elaborate on the details of the epiphany or talk in detail about it. Besides, he had a bad feeling that his yelling had to do with losing her in the dream. "That's crazy. Did I say anything else?"

She was on to him immediately. She could tell whenever Derek had something to hide. "You better be telling me everything," Penelope said. "I can tell when you're hiding something from me, Morgs. You know that."

He was glad she'd given him an opening. If he had to fess up to the dream, he at least wanted the conversation to naturally lead to it. "All right woman. You caught me. There is a little something I haven't told you."

"What is it?"

"I had a dream," Derek said. "A really vivid dream about the two of us. We were…well, we were married and really happy in it. Part of it anyway. It was so _real _though. I wish you could've been there with me. You would've loved it.

He should've known Penelope wouldn't be weirded out. "Really?" she asked. "What was it like?"

"We had three kids," he said. "We were all one big happy family. We lived in this fairytale house with a gravel driveway and decorations that matched your style perfectly. And our kids, well, they were nothing short of perfect. We had two girls and one boy."

Penelope smiled a little. "I think the medication made you a little loopy," she said. "The nurses warned that it would cause vivid dreams."

He realized then that she wasn't taking him seriously. Penelope thought he was just recounting the dream to her in a humorous way. Like, can you believe we were married? Isn't it crazy that we had three kids that looked and acted just like us?

"Pen, it wasn't just a dream," Derek said. "It was an epiphany. My father was there showing me things and telling me that I needed to man up and face the truth. Otherwise my life was going to be anything but happy."

She still didn't understand. "Your father was there?" she asked in confusion. "Why was he showing you that we were married then?"

"Because he was trying to help me see that I was in love with you," Derek said quickly. "That I still am and always have been. I couldn't realize it on my own because I didn't want to hurt your relationship with Sam."

Penelope started to speak but Derek held his hands up. "You have to admit that my father had a point. We really do belong together."

**A/N: A cliffhanger! Last chapter will be posted soon! Now that his feelings are on the table, what will happen next? *cue suspenseful music***


	8. Happily Ever After

**A/N: I tried to get this written as soon as I possibly could. Hope you guys love it! Enjoy the finale!**

Penelope didn't say anything for about ten seconds. "Say something Pen," Derek said. "Say anything to break this tension."

"Oh," she said. "_Oh._"

"That's all you have to say? " he said incredously. "I just said I was in love with you." Then: "You don't feel the same way, do you?"

Penelope looked at him sharply. "Of course I do! Don't think for a single second I don't feel that way toward you. I always have. It's just…a lot to take in at once. I thought I'd lost you, Derek. When Hotch called and said you were in the hospital, I kind of freaked."

"You probably felt the same way I did when you got shot," Derek replied. "That's why we don't need to be apart anymore. We're better together. You know that, Baby Girl. I know you do."

"I do know that," she said quietly. "I've known it for a while now; I just hadn't had the courage to act on it yet. Seriously though, I couldn't be more relieved that you're alright. There was a while I thought you wouldn't be."

Derek started to kiss her, but Penelope pulled away. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Isn't this what you want?"

"We have to break up with our significant others first," she explained. "I've been cheated on too many times to do that to someone else."

"Okay," he said. "I can wait." Then: "You seem to be taking all of this epiphany business quite well. I wasn't too sure that you would when I woke up."

"Well," Penelope said, averting her eyes. "It's not like I haven't thought about it myself. What woman hasn't thought about having genetically perfect children with a god like you? Plus…"

"You're rambling," he interrupted. "You only do that when you're trying to distract me from something. What is it?"

"Well…" she started. "I…er…kinda had a similar dream that you did. Except in mine my mother was showing me all of these future events and warning me our lives were going down the wrong path. It's a little freaky is all. The only difference is in mine you became an alcoholic and got kicked out of the BAU. Can you even imagine?"

Derek only stared at her. "That's what happened in mine," he said. "Exactly what happened. What was the end result with you and Sam?"

"He was abusive," she answered. "Really abusive. We were engaged and happy, but he just changed overnight. I think he had some anger management problems. He was attending classes and trying to get better, but nothing seemed to work for him."

"Do you remember anything else?"

She shook her head. "Not about Sam. I woke up a little after that. I do remember that one of our girls was named Calliope though," she recounted. "Which, by the way, is the coolest name ever. If the dream ever comes true, we are going with that name. No buts about it."

"Penelope, we had the same epiphany," he close to yelled. "Don't you see? This is one of those highly coincidental things that happen in life. We were both shown this other universe so we'd admit to our feelings."

She considered that for a minute. "I guess you're right," she said slowly. "It is a wee bit crazy that we had the same dream. Of course you were unconscious and I was just asleep on the plane…"

Derek cut her off by kissing her. He couldn't stand it another minute. How could he sit here and tell his feelings and talk about that wonderful dream and not do it? She didn't pull away immediately, but she finally did. "Damn you. I didn't want to cheat on Sam." They kissed again. "But kissing you is ten times better than I ever imagined it to be."

"Well, Baby Girl, if you recall from our epiphany the guy was abusive," he said between kisses. "I think he deserves a little payback, don't you?"

She only gave him a look. "We don't know that it was an actual representation of our future, Hot Stuff," she giggled. "Wouldn't that be a little farfetched?"

Derek only kissed her again, completely forgetting where he was and about his head injury. "Haven't you realized by now that this epiphany was a sign for us to get together already?" he asked. "How could it not be completely true?"

They only continued to kiss. "Well," Penelope said breathlessly. "I guess it doesn't matter whether it was true or not, does it? We'll make our own future together. Maybe we'll even top that."

Derek couldn't help but grin at her.

**A/N: Alas, I am finished! Hope you guys enjoyed the ride! Don't forget to leave a review! **


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